DAY, NIGHT RAIDS ON MANZINI SEX WORKERS

MANZINI – After a lot has been said about the arrest of about 30 sex workers in the city, the Royal Swaziland Police (RSP) said it would continue conducting inspections day and night.

Manzini Regional Crime Branch Officer (RCBO) Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane said their main aim was to make the city a sex work-free. On Thursday, this publication reported that all 30 sex workers had pleaded guilty to selling their bodies and they were sentenced to four months imprisonment with an option of a E400 fine each.

The arrests and convictions sparked a debate where people who included Manzini South Member of Parliament and Minister of public Service Owen Nxumalo who said these sex workers should be brought to him. The minister said there was about E1.5 million that could be used in his constituency to empower those who were willing to leave the sex trade.

Nxumalo, who also lauded the police for arresting the sex workers, stated that his constituency would not be only empowering those who wanted to leave sex work but also the ones who stayed there and had life skills as means to curb sex work.Meanwhile, Superintendent Sihlongonyane said he was disappointed by the people who had condemned such arrests and stated that it was unlawful.

“Who says such arrests would not eradicate prostitution? Ever since the sex workers were apprehended in all the targeted corners of the city, Manzini is super clean,” he said.“The police are making random checks in all those places and we must say, so far so good. We will continue arresting sex workers whenever they are found in those points loitering for the purposes of prostitution,” Superintendent Sihlongonyane said.